Combination ash receptacle and lighter unit



p W5 M. E. BERNHARDT COMBINATION ASH RECEPTACLE AND LIGHTER UNIT Filed Oct. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WAX f. BER/YHAE'DT ATTORNEYS M. E. BERNHARDT 2,M5,33

COMBINATION ASH RECEPTAGLE AND LIGHTER UNIT Filedbct. 3, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR MAX EBEHNHARDT ATTORNEYS venient assemblage.

Patented Sept. 24, 1935.

PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION ASH RECEPTACLE AND LIGHTER;- UNIT Max E. Bernhardt, New York, N. Y. Application October 3, 1933, Serial No. 691,964

3 Claims. (01. 175-296) This invention relates to smokers" articles and has particular reference to a combination ash receptacle and lighter unit which isso constructed and arranged as to provide a compact and con- The invention broadly resides in a combination receptacle and lighter unit which includes a casing, the top wall of which is fashioned to form an ash receptacle andwhich casing further de- "fines means for housing and supporting the several parts of the lighter unit.

The invention alsohas in view novel means for supporting certain of the operating parts of the lighter unit within the casing, in fixed position,

' "so as to electrically insulate the same and reduce" to a minimum the liability of broken connections.

The invention further contemplates a casing of the character indicated composed of separable sections which may be opened togain access to the interior for replacing, when necessary, the batteries or other elements of the lighter unit:

The invention also provides in a lighter unit of the character set forth, a guide for a lighter wick holder, which guide is so constructed that when the holder is manually drawn across sparking terminals, effective spark gaps are produced to insure ignition of the fuel on the Wick;

Other objects which fall within the pervi'ew of the invention are to provide a combination ash tray and lighter unit which is comparatively simple and not unduly complicated in its construction, admitting of economical production thereof and which is highly efiicient for its intended purpose.

With these and other objects in view, the invention also resides in certainnovel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described and claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, illustrating the invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective viewofa combination ash tray and lighter unit constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1". I

Fig. 3'is a bottom plan view of the upper section of the casing showing parts of the lighter unit supported thereby.

circuits and Fig. 2, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

the marginal edge. of the body Fig... 4 is. a, perspectivelview illustrating the Fig. 6 is a plan of the wiring diagram of the spark producing circuit.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, I designates a casing which includes an inverted, substantially cup-shaped section H and a bottom wall l2 constituting a closure which is removably associated with the body section by telescopically interfitting of the sections, as shown, or otherwise, as desired; The top wall 3 of the body section II is provided with a de- 10 pressed. portion or well l4 defining an ash receptacle having a bottom l5 and a marginal rim I6, merging into the top wall [3. The top wall l3 between one side of the depression or well l4 and section, provides a plane area upon which is secured an upstanding container I! for a volatile fuel and which container is open at its upper end to receive a removable cover I8, which cover is apertured at H) to receive therethrough andsupport a me- 29 tallic wick holder which extends into the container; The wick holder includes a head 2! and.

a tubular shank 22 within the bore of which shank is arranged a wick 23', the arrangement being such that when the wick holder 20. is disposed inthe aperture I9 of the cover, the wick 23 is arranged in position in the container so as to be charged with the fuel.

In order to provide means, by virtue of which the fuel impregnated wick may be ignited, an ignition circuit A is employedv which includes a pair of terminal elements 24 and. 25 arranged in longitudinal alignment between a pair of upstanding insulator guides 26, theterminals and guides being supported upon an insulated fiber base 231, secured to the underside of the plane area of the top wall l3 and within the casing It],

I said top wall beingv apertured as at 28= to receive the said terminals and guides which extend upwardly therethrough. andv above the top wall I3 40 of the casing. The terminal elements 24 and 25 are adapted to be bridged by the metallic wick holder 20 for producing a spark by contact of the same therewith as it is drawn over' the guides 26. The upper edges of the guides 26-, each has a portion 29 which inclines upwardly from the. end adjacent the-terminal element and arestepped downwardly intermediate their length as at 39-, the remaining portion 3+ of each-upper edge inclining upwardly from the stepped portion to the opposite end. The stepped and inclined construction of the upper edges causes the wick holder H! to be guided with reference to the terminal elements 24 and 25 in such a manner as to produce an effective spark gap between the metallic shank of the wick holder and the terminal 24. The terminal element 24 is comparatively rigid or inflexible with its upper free end disposed substantially in a plane flush with the upper edge portions 3| of the guides 26 so that the shank of the wick holder 19 is continuously in guided contact with said terminal elements. The terminal element 25 is of a flexible resilient nature with its upper end normally disposed above the plane of the upper edge portions 29 of the guides 26 and normally inclined towards the stepped portions 30 thereof.

The upper end of the terminal element 24 is formed with an angularly related pointed extremity 32 which is directed downwardly and over which the metallic shank 22 of the wick holder l9 wipes. The terminal element 24 and its extremity 32 are so proportioned and arranged with reference to the stepped portions 30 that as the shank 22 reaches the region of the stepped portions of the guides, it is suddenly deflected downwardly to cause a rapid disengagement and separation of the shank and extremity 32 of the terminal element 24 to produce an effective sparking and ignition of the fuel on the wick.

The ignition circuit A includes a source of current supply which consists of one or more dry cell batteries, two being illustrated in the present disclosure and designated by the reference characters 35 and 36. The batteries are supported in series beneath the insulated base 21 by means of supporting conductor clips 31 and 38 anchored to the base. The clip 31 is provided with an extension 39 consisting of a bus bar which extends from the main body of the clip to a point underlying the terminal element 24 where said bus bar is electrically connected with said element by a bolt 40 which extends through the base 21 and an insulated bight portion 4| joining the guides 26. The other battery supporting clip 38 is connected by a conductor 42 to one end of an induction coil 43, and a conductor 44 leads from the opposite end of the coil to a conductor strap 45 which strap extends to a point underlying the terminal element 25. The strap 45 is electrically connected with the element 25 by a bolt 46 which extends through the base 21 and through the bight portion 4| of the guides 26. The resiliency of the clips 31 and 38 is suflicient to set up a clamping action axially of the batteries to retain the same in place against accidental or unintentional displacement while permitting them to be readily removed and replaced when desired.

The coil 43 is removably attached to the base 21 by a resilient clip 41 which is anchored to the base 21 and embraces the coil. The case 21 is secured to the underside of the top wall I3 of the body I I by screws 48 or equivalent means so that the complete ignition assemblage including the guides 26 may be emplaced or removed as a unit. It will also be observed that the base 21 and the batteries 35 and 36, coil 43 and other parts of the circuit within the section I l are located within and accommodated by a space or compartment B defined between the well or depressed portion 14, the top wall l3, the marginal edge of the body II and the bottom wall [2, so that a compact arrangement is provided. 7

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the construction closely follows that of the form previously described but in this instance, the body Ila and I2a are of bakelite or an equivalent insulation material, with the fuel container I11; and the guides 260 being formed integral. Due to this construction, the base 21 of the previous form is eliminated and batteries, coil and other elements of ignition surface are carried directly by the body Ila.

What is claimed is: 1

1. In an article of the class described, a metallic wick holder, a pair of longitudinally aligned conductor terminals, and a pair of insulator plates arranged, one on each side of said conductor terminals and in parallel relation with the longi- 1 tudinal alignment of the terminals, said plates having their upper edges so constructed and arranged with respect to said conductor terminals as to position the metallic wick holder in contact with said terminals when the holder is dis- 2 posed longitudinally upon the edges of said plates and to produce, when the holder is drawn longitudinally along the said edges, a rapid disengagement and separation'of the holder from one sparking between the holder and the disengaged conductor terminal for igniting the wick. 2. In an article of the class described, a metallic wick holder, a pair of longitudinally aligned conductor terminals, one of said terminals being 3 relatively resilient, and a pair of insulator plates arranged one on each side of said conductor terminals and in parallel relation with the longitudinal alignment of the conductor terminals, said plates having their upper edges stepped in 3 termediate their ends and so arranged as to position the said holder in contact with said conductor terminals, with the said resilient conductor terminal depressed and tensioned when the holder is disposed longitudinally upon the upper edges 4 of said plates, so as to produce, when the said holder is drawn longitudinally over the said stepped portion of said plates, a rapid disengagement and separation of the holder from said resilient conductor terminal to cause an effective 4 sparking between the holder and the resilient conductor terminal for igniting the wick.

3. In an article of the class described, a metallic wick holder, a pair of longitudinally aligned conductor terminals, one of said conductor terminals being relatively resilient, and provided with an angularly related pointed extremity, and a pair of insulator plates arranged one on each side of said conductor terminals and in parallel 1 of said conductor terminals to cause an effective 25 relation with the longitudinal alignment of the conductor terminals, said plates having their up per edges stepped intermediate their ends and so arranged as to position the said holder in contact with said conductor terminals, with the said resilient conductor terminal depressed and tensioned when the holder is disposed longitudinally upon the upper edges of said plates so as to produce, when the said holder is drawn longitudinally over the stepped portion of said plates, a rapid disengagement and separation of the holder from the pointed extremity of said resilient conductor terminal to cause an effective sparking between the holder and the resilient conductor terminal for igniting the wick.

MAX E. BERNHARDT. 7 

